| As with any field, there are good technical training | | | | bandwagon, with a couple of schools running ads |
| schools, and bad ones. When you sign up with one of | | | | about training you to work in Homeland Security. If |
| these schools, you've made a significant investment in | | | | that's your goal, that's great, but keep in mind that you |
| time and money. You deserve to know everything | | | | have to get a security clearance for any job like that. |
| about the school and your job prospects after leaving | | | | And how do you get a security clearance? You have |
| that school before you put down your hard-earned | | | | to be sponsored. |
| money. The problem is, sometimes it's hard to know | | | | And who will sponsor you? Your employer. |
| the right questions to ask. | | | | Can you get employed in a Homeland Security job |
| The point of this article is not to bash technical training | | | | without having the clearance in the first place? |
| schools. That's how I got my start in IT eight years | | | | Hmmm. Probably not. |
| ago, and today I'm a CCIE(TM) and own my own | | | | Hello, Catch-22. |
| Cisco training company and my own consulting firm. | | | | Again, I'm certainly not saying you can't eventually get |
| Before I ever put down the first dime, though, I asked | | | | an IT security job; if that's where you want to go, you |
| some tough questions. So should you. | | | | can eventually get there. The key word there is |
| What are my true job prospects and legitimate salary | | | | "eventually". Ask the school you're thinking of attending |
| levels after I graduate from your school? | | | | whether they've actually been able to place graduates |
| We've all heard the ads on the radio... "Did you know | | | | in such jobs. Ask to talk to them. If the school's |
| the average salary of an MCSE is $80,000?" "Are you | | | | managed to do so, they'll be glad to put you in touch |
| worth $65,000 a year? If not, call us!" | | | | with such graduates. |
| I'm an optimist, and I often tell people that no field | | | | What textbooks does your school use? |
| rewards individual achievement and drive like IT does. | | | | Some technical school chains use only books that |
| Having said that, none of us start at the top, and darn | | | | someone in their organization wrote. I've heard some |
| few of us start at that kind of salary. | | | | of their own teachers complain about the quality of |
| I'm sure that there are some people who broke in at | | | | these books. The technical school I attended used |
| $80,000, but I haven't met very many of them. Be very | | | | off-the-shelf books, and the quality was very good. |
| wary of technical schools that use the famous | | | | If you're looking into entering the IT field, you probably |
| infamous MCSE Salary Survey as a marketing tool. | | | | know someone who's already in it. Use that resource |
| They tend to represent those salaries as starting | | | | for everything it's worth. Ask that person what they |
| salaries. | | | | think about the books, or for that matter, what the local |
| Ask your technical school what the average starting | | | | reputation of the school is. IT is a small world, if the |
| salary of their graduates is. And keep in mind that | | | | school has a good or bad reputation, most of the IT |
| salary is not the most important factor to consider | | | | personnel in your city or town probably know about it. |
| when looking for your first job in IT; it's the experience | | | | The fifth question is a question to ask of HR |
| you'll be able to put on your resume later on that you | | | | representatives. Every technical school lists companies |
| should weigh heavily at this point. | | | | where they've placed their graduates on their |
| In short, be very careful about schools that brag about | | | | promotional material. Pick up the phone, call these |
| starting salaries. It's not where you start, it's where you | | | | companies, and ask to speak to someone in HR. Ask |
| end up. | | | | that person about the reputation of the school. Five to |
| How up-to-date are the courses you're offering? | | | | eight phone calls will give you a good picture of where |
| Make sure the school you're going to attend has made | | | | the school stands with local employers. |
| efforts to keep their courses relevant. Ask what | | | | Making the decision to attend a technical school can |
| changes have been made to their curriculum in the last | | | | be the best decision you've ever made; it certainly |
| three years. No field changes faster than IT. If the | | | | was for me. Make sure to ask the right questions |
| answer to that question is "none", look somewhere | | | | before writing a check or taking a loan to attend; the |
| else. | | | | answers to those questions will indicate to you |
| I want to work in IT security. Have you placed anyone | | | | whether this school is truly the school that can help |
| in this field lately? If so, can I talk to them? | | | | you achieve your dreams. |
| Technical schools are jumping on the security | | | | |